Opinion Testimony is best described as what?

• A. Someone's speculation about what he or she would have observed had the person been a witness to the incident
• B. A factual description of observed events
• C. A professional diagnosis
• D. A judge's decision

Answer: (A)

Opinion testimony is when a witness expresses a belief or conclusion about a matter rather than simply recounting what they actually saw. The described choice fits this idea because it frames the testimony as speculation about what the witness would have observed if they had been there, i.e., an inference rather than a direct, observed fact. This distinguishes it from a factual description of observed events, which is purely about what the witness perceptibly saw. A professional diagnosis is an expert opinion based on analysis, not a general lay opinion about hypothetical observations, and a judge’s decision is a ruling, not testimony.